Agree or disagree with the lady's politics or causes, this sort of behavior should give us all pause. Our Constitutional Republic is at a cross-roads. Down one fork lies a return to limited government and the freedom so many have fought and died for since 1776, and down the other lies--what? My guess would be a oligarchical surveillance state, where dissent is only practiced underground and at grave danger. This state will have the trappings of democracy garishly displayed, just to assure the people that they really are "free".

But if you can't speak your mind freely without fear of repercussion, are you really free?

The reason this lady is worried is the same reason I blog anonymously. I plan on at least making it a little more difficult for the so-and-sos.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

As you can see from the icon at the top, I'm a supporter of Fred Thompson. According to this test, he's with me 80.19% of the time. Not perfect, but definitely good enough. Mrs. Freeholder and I don't agree that much, and we've been married for nearly two decades.

Not surprisingly, my best match is Ron Paul, at 81.13%, a difference that is statistically insignificant. I also matched highly with Tom Tancredo (also at 81.13%) and Duncan Hunter (77.36%). While I could live with either of the candidates as President, for reasons stated yesterday I won't be voting for them in the primaries.

The candidates I least agree with? Dennis Kucinich at 16.98% is in last place. Just ahead of him are Obama, Dodd and Clinton, all at 22.64%. Personally I'm amazed (and a bit disturbed) that I agree with any of them this much.

Of course, tests such as this are just for fun. Anyone who would let a web test pick their candidate for them is, in my opinion, undeserving of the franchise in the first place. They're obviously too dumb to be allowed to do anything as important as vote.

The big take away is this, and it's something that I'm going to keep hammering at from time to time--no matter who you are, there is no "perfect candidate" running. If there was, it would have to be you. That's because no one will ever completely agree with you except you. This leaves you in the position of picking the candidate you agree with the most who can be elected. For some folks, this doesn't sit well, and I respect that. In the last several elections, I have actively worked for candidates who I wasn't all that happy with, not because I really wanted them in office, but because they were the best available choice.

I also understand the idea that voting for the lesser of two evils is still voting for evil. However, the world is an imperfect place, and I've long since realized that I alone can not fix that. I can do my tiny little part, and that's all I can do.

Feel free to discuss this in the comments. I'm looking forward to what you have to say.

Monday, September 24, 2007

I still find it funny that it's usually our legal immigrants who seem to "get the joke" about America the best. Kim du Toit, the sorry so-and-so who inadvertently and unknowingly lead me down the path to blogdom, has two excellent posts in one day. A South African expat, he gets the joke that is America as well as anyone I've ever seen.

His first post deals with the subject of Republican Presidential candidates, and why you'll never get to perfect. I've had similar discussions with some of my commenters lately, and I've had them on various forums with others. Folks, we ain't ever going to get that perfect candidate. Even if we find him, I will guarantee that he or she is not electable on the national stage. Should a miracle occur and they get elected, they will fail utterly in getting anything useful done. Feel free to disagree, but that's the facts as I see them.

His second post deals with something many believe is occurring right now, right as I type and as you read this--America is circling the drain. Indications are that this is an accurate belief. His post was occasioned by a comment left on his blog by an old blogging acquaintance, who is, like Kim, an immigrant to the US. This fellow decided to bail to warmer climes, and says he'll return "when the shooting starts".

I can appreciate his position, and if the shooting does start, I'll welcome him with open arms. But man, we need you to stay here and help us see to it that it doesn't come to that. Because if it gets to that point--a second civil war, open revolution, whatever you want to call it--we're all going to lose. That because while we're involved with killing each other off, our real enemies, the Islamists, the Socialists, the Communists and the plain power hungry, will be biting off chunks of flesh from our national carcass. And we may find, when one side or the other finally wins, that there is no America left.

So stay here, and fight the good fight. Things appear dire, but always the optimist, I think that we can win, and get back at least some semblance of the Constitutional Republic that our forefathers won for us.

Thats' what I plan to do, and that's what I'm teaching my kids to do. Win or lose, this is my home, and I see no other place to be.